USA > Indiana > Clay County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 14
USA > Indiana > Owen County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 14
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THE MEXICAN WAR.
Clay County furnished two companies for the Mexican war. The first military experience had by the men of Indiana was in this war. Company D, Second Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, was raised in this county in the vicinity of Bowling Green. The regiment was mustered into the service at Terre Haute in July, 1846, with John Osborn, of Bowling Green, Captain ; Allen T. Rose, First Lieutenant, and John T. Alexander and Joshua Moore, Second Lieutenants. The regiment was commanded by Col. Jim Lane. Im- mediately after being mustered in, the regiment was transported to the field. of operations, and, at different periods of the war, fought under the com- mand of Gens. Taylor and Scott, participating in many of the most san- guinary battles of the war. After an honorable record, the regiment re- turned home in the early spring of 1848, after the close of the war.
Company H, Fourth Regiment Indiana Infantry .-- This company had the following officers : Mr. Cochran, Captain, Terre Haute ; Mr. Cole, First Lieutenant. John Mullen, of Vigo County, and Mr. Lee, of Vigo, were elected its Second Lieutenants. The Colonel was Mr. Gorman, of Bloom- ington, and Gen. Dumont was elected Lieutenant Colonel. The regiment was mustered into the service in June, 1847, at Terre Haute, and started at once for Mexico, where it was placed in the command of Gen. Taylor. It
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
was engaged in the battles of Humantley, Puebla, Atlixico, and participated in a large number of sieges and skirmishes of greater or less importance. At Vera Cruz it was transferred to the command of Gen. Scott, and in the brigade commanded by Gen. Jim Lane. The regiment was stationed at Puebla, as a garrison, from November, 1847, to March, 1848, at which time, the war having been brought to a termination, it was sent home and dis- charged, after an honorable service of nearly two years.
When the war of the rebellion broke out in 1861, many of the veterans of the Mexican war were among the first to enlist, and became useful sol- diers on account of their practical knowledge of military affairs. Many, however, had passed that period of their lives at which their services to the country were useful, and remained at home, interested spectators of passing events, but generally with their sympathies and influence on the side of their country.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
BY A. F. BRIDGES.
ORIGIN OF THE CITY.
T HE National road, traversing Indiana from east to west, in open- ing to the ambitious Eastern emigrant the boundless and undevel- oped West, deserves particular mention in that splendid system of inter- nal improvements in which the statesmanship of the days of Clay and Webster has its most enduring monument. It became at once a thorough- fare for a large proportion of Eastern enterprise traveling westward in the accomplishment of a noble purpose. But while contributing to the development of what is more truly the West, it opened up to a class of thrifty, energetic settlers,the rich fields of the Hoosier State, for many miles on either side. It also led to the establishment of numerous towns and villages that proved to be convenient trading points to settlers as well as to the tens of thousands, who, in covered wains, pushed on, in their dream of home and wealth, to the more remote territories beyond. Many of these towns and villages became important trading points and popu- lous commercial marts before the near approach of the railroad caused them to be almost, if not entirely, abandoned. The National road has long since been superseded by parallel railway lines as the highway of Western emigration; and while it is kept in tolerable repair for the most part, it is a thing of the past, as scores of dilapidated or deserted trad- ing points, scattered along its route, indicate; thus pointing clearly to one characteristic by which the present age is distinguished from its predecessors. But not all of these National road towns have disap- peared. Some, being on the route of the railroad, became important railroad centers, populous cities and marts of trade, and are glorious with promise of the future. Among these are Richmond, Indianapolis, the ambitious capital city, and Terre Haute, the beautiful city of the prairie, through all of which the road forms the principal stre et.
Brazil is a National road city; that is, the National road forms her princi - pal street, and she doubtless owes something of her early growth to the road; but her origin cannot be traced to this fact wholly. Har mony had been laid out about the year 1840, and, even prior to this, Williamtown, four miles west of Brazil, was at that time the trading point for the surrounding country for many miles in all directions. The only important crossing where it seemed a town might be located was the junction of the Na- tional and Rockville, Bowling Green and Spencer State roads, two miles
L. A. Atale, M.D.
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BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
west of Brazil, where the well-known Kennedy tavern, still standing, was built about the year 1824. Perhaps the only reason why a town was never located there was the fact that Mr. Kennedy was sole pro- prietor of 200 acres of valuable farming land centering there, and did not wish to part with it for even that purpose. Brazil owes her ex- istence to the faith and enterprise of her founder, Mr. Owen Thorpe. Mr. Thorpe was not pleased with the outlook before Harmony, and not- ing a lack of that energy at Williamstown which the times seemed to de- mand, he purchased, in 1838 or 1839, a tract of land lying between Me- ridian and Factory streets in the present city of Brazil, and extending from the Vandalia Railroad on the south to Morton street on the north. What is now Meridian street was a part of a county road that inter- sected the Rockville & Bowling Green road a few miles south of the city, and was thus a minor and unimportant thoroughfare. Mr. Thorpe was pleased with the vision that opened before him, however, and time has but demonstrated the wisdom of his faith.
Brazil, as originally laid out by Mr. Thorpe, January 4, 1844, con- sisted of twenty-eight lots, beginning with the southeast corner of Main and Meridian streets, and extending as far east a's Madison, now Wal- nut. The northern boundary was Jefferson street, and the southern Jackson. An addition was made to the original plat January 9, 1815, reaching a tier of lots north of Church street, thence east to Walnut. Lots 29 and 30, on the first of which Turner's Hall now stands, as well as Lots 31 to 33, on the former of which the Commercial Bank now stands, were a part of the addition. In laying out the original plat, Mr. Thorpe appeared before John Osborne, a Justice of the Peace, and tes- tified as to its being his voluntary act. Jesse McIntire was then County Recorder. In his addition, Mr. Thorpe donated Lot 42 for school pur- poses. The lot was about forty feet square, and was at the southeast corner of Church and Walnut streets. A log building was erected on the lot in the same year by private donations, the only outlay of cash be- ing $4.45, the cost of glass and nails. This building was designed for schoolhouse, church house and town hall; but it was used mostly by the Methodists as a house of worship until the erection of their frame edi- fice in 1858. This was the lay of the town until gradually extended east and west by the addition of John Hendrix, Sr., and others, the first being in 1857. At the time of the incorporation as a town in 1866, South Meridian and North Franklin were the thoroughfares north and south.
The name of Brazil was suggested by Mr. William Stewart, famil- iarly known as "Yankee Bill." When approached for his suggestions concerning a name, he was reading a copy of the New York Herald, in which was an account of interesting occurrences in Brazil, South Amer- ica. This fact suggested to Mr. Stewart the name by which the town was
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
called. The name seems to have been happy. At that time there was perhaps no other post office by that name in the United States, and its infrequency now preserves its identity. It might have been named after somne one of its early settlers; but no one was more deserving than Mr. Thorpe himself, and while his name shall be preserved on the page of his- tory, we should all be glad the town was not named Thorpville, or even Thorpsburg.
FIRST SETTLERS.
The first settler in the vicinity of what is now Brazil was Mr. James Campbell, who entered a quarter section of Government land in 1838, the site of his log cabin being where the old Hendrix homestead now stands. The next settlers were Reuben Yocum and his son James; John S. Yocum, who in 1835 was Justice of the Peace in Dick Johnson Township; James Hull, Dr. W. H. Gifford, Jonathan Croasdale, Dr. A. W. Knight, in whose honor Knightsville is named, Solomon Hicks, Kile Kirtley and others.
In 1845, John Hendrix, Sr., moved to Brazil from Centerville, Wayne County, purchasing the Campbell farm. Mr. Hendrix erected the same year a blacksmith and wagon shop at the northwest corner of Main and Meridian streets. He disposed of his shop in 1852 to his sons Eli and John, who kept the business up at the old stand till 1878. The Hendrix corner is the best known business stand in the county, especially among farmers, whose wants have been supplied there for nearly forty years.
Brazil existed as a trading point, however, even before the laying-out of the town. In 1838, Owen Thorpe opened up a general store on the southeast corner of Main and Meridian streets. He was succeeded shortly afterward by James Rose, who brought a stock of merchandise from Bowling Green. Next came John Witty, from Pleasant Garden, who sold out to Thomas Harvey, of Bowling Green. Olds & Brackney had also dealt in dry goods and groceries. In 1840, the first tavern of the place was erected by Kile Kirtley. The building is still standing at the northeast corner of Main and Meridian streets.
TOWN INCORPORATION.
The order of the Board of Commissioners constituting Brazil an in- corporate town bears date of September 1, 1866. The application, ac- cording to the official account, was signed by " D. W. Bridges, T. M. Robertson, et al.," including, in compliance with the law, at least one- third of the legal voters of the territory, which latter included 189 acres, extending from Desart street on the west to Lambert on the east, and from Morton on the north to the Vandalia road on the south. The fol- lowing are the names of the streets: Main, Jackson, Knight, Church, Methodist, Morton, Desart, Atlantic, Sherman, Grant, Depot, Meridian, Lincoln, Franklin, Washington, Factory, Cass, Lambert, McDonald and
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BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
Front. The order called a meeting of the voters "in the frame church house on Lot 6, Brackney's Addition to the town of Brazil, on the first Monday in October, 1866, for the purpose of determining by ballot whether or not the said territory shall be incorporated." The proceed- ings were published in the Brazil Independent Home Weekly, then but recently established by Rev. A. Wright. Mr. Joseph P. Liston was President of the Board of Commissioners, and the transcript has the' signature of Mr. George M. Wiltse, then Auditor of the county.
On the day appointed for the election, Messrs. I. M. Compton, E. Montgomery and I. W. Sanders were qualified as Inspectors, with Mr. Montgomery as Clerk; 141 votes were cast, of which 132 were in favor and 9 opposed. The proper returns were made to the Commissioners at their December term of court, through Maj. W. W. Carter. The town was divided December 6 into three districts, and at the same time an election was ordered to be held "at the law office of Mr. I. M. Compton, on Lot 1, in Mr. John Hendrix, Sr.'s, First Addition to the town of Brazil, December 18, 1866, for the purpose of electing one School Trustee, one Trustee for each of the three districts, one Clerk, one Marshal and As- sessor and one Treasurer for said town, to serve until the first Monday in May, 1867, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified." The total vote polled was 122. The election resulted as follows: Trust. ees, First, District, J. G. Ackelmire; Second, Jacob Thomas; Third, Thomas Desart; School Trustee, Evelyn Montgomery; Treasurer, Eli Hendrix; Clerk, Dillon W. Bridges; Marshal and Assessor, Samuel Hol- lingsworth. The Board of Trustees met in Mr. Compton's office imme- diately after the election, and qualified. Mr. Desart was made Chair- man, a position which he filled for three consecutive years. At a meeting of the board held December 27, an order of business was adopted, and on the 29th ordinances from one to five were passed. The ordinances, from the exigencies of the case, were quite elaborate, and covered the general points of municipal government.
BRAZIL BLOCK COAL.
Meanwhile, the celebrated block coal, which has given Brazil a nation- al fame, had been discovered in rich deposits underlying northern and western Clay County. The coal at once attracted attention by its adapt- ability to manufacturing as well as domestic purposes. Prof. Cox, then State Geologist, in his report in 1871, gives the following analysis of the coal: Specific gravity, 1,296; weight of one cubic foot, 81 pounds; fixed carbon, 55.25; ashes, 1.50; coke, 56.75; gas, 39.85; water, 3; total volatile matter, 43.25; color of ashes, white. Concerning its ex- tent, he says: " The entire coal area of Clay County comprises about 300 square miles, or 192,000 acres; and the total depth of coal over this area is twenty-eight feet nine inches. This depth of coal will give as the
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
product of one acre 10,500 tons of coal, or, for the entire area, over 2,000,000,000,000 tons." The block coal mined in this vicinity has creditably emerged from every test to which it has been put, and has even come off best when compared with the boasted products of other fields; while its extent is simply inexhaustible. Prof. Cox places the latter modestly, although it was then accurate enough; but when two layers were discovered under the first, as was the case before his next report was published, he admitted the half had not been told. Coal has since been discovered and is being profitably mined in various and wide- ly separated parts of the county. Coal shipments began in 1853, when Messrs. Weaver & Olds disposed of a car load to Indianapolis purchas -. ers. The coal was hauled from Otter Creek, where it was stripped, by horses and oxen, and the car was loaded on the side track of the Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad in the city. It was regarded as quite an achievement to ship a whole car load of coal at once. Mr. D. C. Stunk- ard, who was then in business in Brazil, enlarged his stock so as to in- clude coal, which for two or three years he bought and sold in large quantities. Among the early operators were Henry Earnheart, John Weaver, Ezra Olds, Prof. Lawrence (formerly State Geologist of Massa- chusetts), Indianapolis Rolling Mill Company, John Kennedy, William Kennedy and John Andrews. These men were the pioneer coal operators in this district. The excellent quality of the coal, with the enterprise of the operators, conspired to make Brazil well known at that early day, and in 1845 the outlook was favorable for the development of the miner- al and the consequent growth of the town. But this was not to be at once. The times of panic set in in 1854, when business generally was paralyzed throughout the country by the uncertain and fluctuating value of moneys then in circulation. Following this came the war. The coal interests revived, however, in 1863. During this year, Mr. Samuel Strain and Messrs. John and Alexander Crawford leased ground of Dr. A. W. Knight where Knightsville now stands, and operated successfully a shaft; while at about this time Mr. John Andrews succeeded in induc- ing men familiar with mining to come here from Scotland. As a result, Brazil began to build up. Without interruption, the coal interests have advanced, until now, within the district, there are scores of mines, shafts and slopes, that are operated by over 3,000 miners. The mines are reached by the north and south branches or coal roads, the property of the Vandalia, and each several miles in length. The shipments now amount to about 5,000 cars a month, in handling which five engines are constantly employed. The Vandalia has also a second track from Brazil to Knightsville, connecting the coal roads, and enabling the com- pany to handle the vast shipments without interfering with the other business of the road.
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BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
IRON MANUFACTURE, ETC.
The excellency of the Brazil block coal for smelting iron led to the estalishment of furnaces, rolling mills and foundries, which entitle Brazil to rank beside Pittsburgh and other large manufacturing centers. The pioneer of these enterprises is the blast furnace in Brazil. This was erected and put in operation in 1867. The record regarding it on the minutes of the Town Council bears date of May 17, when Messrs. D. C. Stunkard and George P. Shaw, in behalf of the Indianopolis Furnace & Mining Company, petitioned for the right-of-way on Grant street for a switch. The petition was granted, "after due deliberation," according to the record, " for the purpose of securing the greatest good to the greatest number, and believing that centralized capital invested as the company propose will be conducive to that end, not only by furnishing employment to a large number of laboring men, mechanics and others, but by bringing to light and testing the value of our mineral wealth, which might not be done even in this century, if centralized capital is not encouraged to locate in our midst." The principal stockholders were Messrs. D. M. Root and Daniel Yandes, of Indianapolis, and Messrs. D. C. Stunkard, George P. Shaw and others, of Brazil, the cap- ital being $150,000. It was put in successful operation in eight or nine months, and was run with profit for a short time when it shut down, with perhaps no other motive than to afford opportunity for the larger stockholders to gobble up the smaller. During the period of its idle- ness, Mr. Yandes died, Mr. Root became insolvent, the iron market stag- nated, and the price of pig iron materially declined as a result of the re- duction in the tariff. The furnace finally fell into the hands of Messrs. Garlic & Collins. It is now operated by the Central Iron & Steel Com- pany, who purchased it in 1882 for about $20,000. The furnace has a capacity of twenty-four tons a day. Its original success led to the es- tablishment of other furnaces in Knightsville and on Otter Creek, on the correct theory that the location of all such manufactories is in the vicin- ity of fuel, it being more practical to ship the ore. These furnaces have all gone down, with the exception of the one in Brazil, the result of causes in themselves natural, and not at all connected with the facilities afforded by this locality.
CITY INCORPORATION.
Brazil was incorporated as a city in May, 1873, her population being estimated at 3,200. The officers were as follows: Mayor, J. G. Ackle- mire; Clerk, Joseph L. Hussey; Treasurer, John Stewart; Marshal, F. M. McBride; Assessor, D. C. Cooper; Councilmen, long term-David Klinger, First Ward; A. R. Collins, Second; J. Stough, Third; short term -French Triplett, First Ward; A. W. Turner, Second; D. D. Reed, Third. The Mayor's bond was fixed at $5,000, the Treasurer's at $30,000, the Marshall's, Assessor's and City Attorney's at $2,000 each.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
Beginning with 189 acres in 1866, Brazil has grown to be a city of long distances and no little territory. In 1873, she boasted seven dry goods stores, five drug stores, seventeen groceries, two hardware stores, one china store, one flouring mill, one planing mill, one saw mill, one woolen factory, a blast furnace, a foundry, six churches, two public schools. The city now has a population exceeding 5,000, and while not occupying much more territory, that territory is more compactly built over, and the number and character of her residences and stores have been increased and improved materially.
By the act of the Commissioners, the seat of justice was removed in 1875 from Bowling Green to Brazil, at the petition of more than sixty per cent of the qualified voters of the county, and the court house and jail were erected at once. This served to give Brazil an air of perma- nency, as well as to add to lier citizenship a number of valuable members in county officers as well as others.
PROSPERITY OF THE CITY.
The growth of Brazil during the next seven years was steady. The year 1882 deserves special mention on account of the number of substan- tial business blocks erected. Among these were the Thomas Block, in- cluding Compton & McGregor's addition, as well as the additions of John T. Morgan, begun in 1881; Shannon & Fast's Block, J. P. Hauck & Son's, and J. G. Bryson's, the whole worth $100,000. The most sub- stantial event of the year, however, was the location here of the rolling mill. The Central Iron & Steel Company had just organized and were casting about for a location. They had received bids from Terre Haute and Greencastle, but they proposed to locate in Brazil on consideration of $15,000 donation. This sum was raised in January and work was at once begun. The rolling mill was completed and in running order with- in a year.
The Central Iron & Steel Company has a stock capital of $100,000. Among its stockholders are D. W. Minshall, P. Deming and R. S. Hill, of Indianapolis; M. A. Johnson, of Chicago; Maj. Collins, W. C. Hall, C. S. Andrews, J. G. Bryson, J. E. Sherfey and Edward Wilton, of, Brazil. Maj. Collins is President, and W. C. Hall, Secretary and Treas- urer. The mill operates a twenty-inch muck mill, a twenty-inch bar train, a ten-inch guide mill, an ore pulverizer, three steam shears and two steam hammers. In connection with the furnace, it gives employ- ment to 150 men.
The Brazil Foundry and Machine shops of Messrs. Crawford & Mc- Crimmon, which are worthy of special mention, were established in 1869. The success that has crowned the efforts of these gentlemen, while com- plimentary to their business management, at the same time speaks well for Brazil as a location for such enterprises.
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BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
In May, 1875, Ordinance No. 89 was passed, providing for the issu- ing of fifty bonds of $500 denomination, for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating a system of water works. The bonds were made payable semi-annually at nine per cent interest, ten maturing six- teen years from date of issue, and ten more annually till all are matured. The Council were constituted ex-officio Water Works Committee, with power to contract, purchase and perform any necessary work. The Council proceeded at once to business. Thirteen acres of ground were purchased of Mr. A. S. Hill, at $2,600, and an engine-house was erected. Two large steam pumps, manufactured by Messrs. Dean Bros., of Indi- anapolis, with a capacity of four-inch stream of water 100 feet high, and with an ability to withstand a pressure of 175 pounds to the square inch, were purchased at a cost of $4,800. The pipe was purchased of a Louisville house, and consisted of a mile of eight-inch pipe, 4,000 feet of four-inch pipe and 2,000 feet of six, with a capacity of 300 pounds to the square inch. The price paid was $39.60 per ton. The contract called for the delivery of the pipes by the 10th of the next month. Mr. W. B. Shaw was employed as engineer, and his salary was fixed at $900, which was afterward increased to include house rent, an addition for residence purposes having been made in 1878. A well or cistern, twen- ty-five feet in diameter and twenty deep, was originally built for the water supply; but the growing demands of the city soon called for some- thing more capacious. This demand now amounts to three and a half millions of gallons a month. This necessity led to the building of the reservoir in 1883. This reservoir covers several acres to a sufficient depth to afford all the water that any demand may require.
Brazil from an unpretentious and unpromising beginning has become a city of more than 5,000 inhabitants. The center of vast coal fields, she is a manufacturing center, and is intimately connected with the growth and prosperity of the district and industry. Prof. Cox thinks Indiana, with her great coal-fields, will supply the new West with iron and steel. This faith realized will make Brazil a manufacturing city whose magnitude cannot now be well depicted. The sources of her pros- perity are as permanent as they are interesting. The numerous addi- tions that have been made to her incorporate limits, the number and ele- gance of her homes and business blocks, the character of her enterprises and the spirit of her people, all point to a future more glorious than her founder ever saw in rapt vision.
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